NewsJurrjens gets another go at Dodgers
Atlanta (55-54) at Los Angeles (67-42), 10:10 p.m. ET
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
08/07/09 2:08 AM ET
LOS ANGELES -- When Jair Jurrjens opposed the Dodgers at Turner Field on Sunday, he showed some of the poise that has led the Braves to be so excited about his bright future. But while facing the Dodgers again at Dodger Stadium on Friday night, the Braves 23-year-old right-hander will be looking to prove he's capable of finishing the task that was squandered during Sunday's four-run fifth inning. "If I'd have thrown more strikes earlier in the game, maybe I would have been able to go deeper into the game and maybe I wouldn't have made that mistake to [Matt] Kemp," said Jurrjens in reference to the decisive two-out, fifth-inning homer that he surrendered to the Dodgers center fielder. Looking to win his fourth consecutive decision, Jurrjens traded zeros with Chad Billingsley through the first four innings and retired the first two batters in the fifth inning before surrendering consecutive one-out singles. Then after throwing consecutive strikes to Kemp, Jurrjens' attempt to throw a fastball out of the zone proved unsuccessful and damaging when Kemp lofted the 0-2 fastball over the center-field wall. "I got two easy and then Manny [Ramirez] got a base hit and another base hit, then a bomb and another base hit," Jurrjens said. "It was a bad inning." With the four-run fifth inning, Billingsley was able to cruise toward what was just his second win in nine starts. While limiting the Braves to two inconsequential doubles over five scoreless innings, the All-Star right-hander didn't look like the same pitcher who had posted a 6.75 ERA in his previous seven starts. While once again opposing Jurrjens on Friday night, Billingsley will attempt to again neutralize a Braves offense that had hit .287 over the previous 20 games entering Thursday night's series opener at Dodger Stadium. With two wins during last weekend's series at Turner Field, the Dodgers stalled the momentum the Braves had gained while winning nine of their first 14 games after the All-Star break. The Braves righted themselves by beginning this California swing with a pair of wins during a three-game series against the Padres. As they attempt to keep themselves alive in the National League Wild Card race, they understand the important role that Jurrjens could play. Since going winless in five June starts that were marred by a lack of run support, Jurrjens has gone 4-2 with a 2.68 ERA. The 2.85 ERA he's compiled this season ranks ninth in the NL. "He's been outstanding this year," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "I can't say enough about his character. He's a gamer." Pitching matchupATL: RHP Jair Jurrjens (9-8, 2.85 ERA)
Jurrjens hopes to have a much better start against the Dodgers on Friday in Los Angeles than he did Sunday in Atlanta. Jurrjens went just five innings while surrendering four earned runs in a disastrous fifth inning. After getting two outs, Jurrjens surrendered back-to-back singles before Kemp hit a long three-run homer to break a scoreless tie. Jurrjens struggled with his pitch count, amassing 103 pitches in the five innings. What makes the results more frustrating is the fact that Jurrjens threw first-pitch strikes to 18 out of the 24 hitters he faced. LAD: RHP Chad Billingsley (11-6, 3.82 ERA)
Billingsley was cruising with a two-hitter in the fifth inning when he felt a slight hamstring cramp. He finished the inning, but received a quick precautionary hook from manager Joe Torre before the next inning started. Nonetheless, Billingsley struck out nine and was particuarly effective with a sharp breaking ball. Tidbits
When the Braves solely recorded 14 singles in Wednesday's win over the Padres, it marked the first time since Aug. 19, 1993, that they'd recorded at least 14 hits in a game without an extra-base hit. The previous time they won a game with a 14-hit attack that was void of an extra-base hit was June 23, 1986. Both of those previous games were played against the Dodgers. ... Because he was feeling some discomfort in his right groin Thursday, Tim Hudson opted to wait a few more days before attempting a bullpen session. ... Right-handed reliever Buddy Carlyle will be activated from the disabled list Friday and optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. Tickets
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• 640 WGST, Project 9-6-1 Up next
• Saturday: Braves (Kenshin Kawakami, 5-9, 4.38) at Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw, 8-6, 2.89), 10:10 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Braves (Javier Vazquez, 9-7, 2.99) at Dodgers (Hiroki Kuroda, 4-5, 4.44), 4:10 p.m. ET
• Monday: Off-day
Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
